Gender, equity and human rights

Menu

Health outcomes are not equal for people throughout the world, both across and within countries. Many of these disparities –due to underlying social determinants—are avoidable and unacceptable. The Gender, Equity and Human Rights team works to address these disparities (caused by gender inequalities, inequities and lack of human rights-based approaches) to ensure better health for all.

The Roadmap for Action describes how the integration of equity, human rights, gender and social determinants will be rolled out, including strategic milestones. A companion document, the Unifying Framework Guide explains what integration of WHO core values and approaches means and provides illustrative examples. The Roadmap for Action is expected to be adjusted in synchrony with WHO’s management cycle, i.e., the next adjustments will be in early 2016.

The report delivers both promising and disappointing messages about the situation in low- and middle-income countries. Within-country inequalities have narrowed, with a tendency for national improvements driven by faster improvements in disadvantaged subgroups.
However, inequalities still persist in most reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health indicators. The extent of within-country inequality differed by dimension of inequality and by country, country income group and geographical region. There is still much progress to be made in reducing inequalities in RMNCH.

8 March 2015 – International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate women, but also a day to take stock of how women’s rights are fulfilled worldwide, especially the right to health. Progress has been made 20 years after commitments were made in Beijing to the Declaration and Platform for Action, but women still face many health challenges.